Newton Citizen

COVINGTON --The Newton County Board of Education wants to know what you want in the next superintendent of schools.

The board is asking the public to complete a community survey, which it will use in its search for the next superintendent.

The survey is located at http://s.zoomerang.com/s/NewtonCommunitySurvey.

It contains eight multiple choice questions and one question that allows survey takers to write out a response.

Parents/guardians, Newton County School System employees and any other community member may take the survey.

The board members will use the information as they interview potential candidates for the position of superintendent, according to NCSS.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our community to participate in the decision-making process," said Abigail Coggin, chair of the school board.

"Our community has the chance to tell the Board of Education what they feel are the necessary leadership characteristics needed in the person who will be leading our school system into the future. We, the Board of Education, need to know what is important to our parents, employees and business leaders, and this survey is one way to share their thoughts."

The Georgia School Boards Association is assisting in the superintendent search for a cost of at least $8,000. GSBA will receive the applications and present all of them to the Newton County School Board sometime after the application deadline of March 1. The survey will remain up until then, according to NCSS.

The search is expected to be wrapping up by the spring.

Current Superintendent Gary Mathews is set to retire in July.